The amazing variety of plants of the Virgin Islands is largely due to the variety of climate zones and habitats.

NATURAL HISTORY

VIRGIN ISLANDS PLANTS } Solanum conocarpumFAMILY: Solanaceae

DESCRIPTION: Solanum conocarpum is a thornless, flowering shrub that may reach more than nine feet in height.

RANGE: Solanum conocarpum is native only to the island of St. John.

HABITAT: Solanum conocarpum occurs in dry, deciduous forest.

BREEDING: Little is known about the reproductive biology of Solanum conocarpum. The plant may be functionally dioecious (meaning it has male and female flowers on different plants), requiring higher numbers in order to reproduce effectively.

THREATS: Solanum conocarpum is threatened by habitat loss from residential and tourist development, as well as feral animals.

POPULATION TREND: There are only approximately 200 Solanum conocarpum plants living in the wild, 185 of them on private land.